The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-03-18

NXk " WA y W4ID~SDa>-SSy >L(<DIXSz2y2
?&!4@7
"VeA, the hunts begun at last"
The women listened.
They heard tho ceaseless patter and swis
of the gloomp rain-the gusty signs of th
wind through the shade trees naked branche
louder still the rolling of heavy wheel
over tho rough streets; and all these wer
"Poor fellows" said Rachel, chow they or
suffering!"
think ruther," said Aunt Debby calmly
"of how they've made others suffer. Hit
Gods judgment on EN-"
Rachel turned to Fortner. "What vii
come nexts Will this end it, Will the Con
federates fall back and leave this place7"
Hardly. This s only like the fust slap II
the face in fight atween two big savag'
men, who we locked horns ter see which i
the jnts fur the death rassel"
eyes, and what NEXT"
"Well, Rosy's started fur this ere place
an he's bound ter come heah. Bragg's bound
he sha'n't come heah, an is gittin his men
"What am What are we to do in the
MEANWHILE"
"Ye're ter do nothin', on'y stay in the house
ez close ez ye kin, an wait tell the chance
comes ter use We. Hit may he ter-morrer, an
hit mayn't be fur some days. These army
moves are monty unsartin. Aunt Debby III
take keer on ye, an yell not be in mite o
danger"
"But we'll see you frequently9"
"Ez often ez kin arrange hit. I'm actin
ez orderly an messenger bout headquarters,
but I'll come ter We whenever I kin cit a
chance, an keep ye posted"
This was Friday night. All day Saturday,
al long as the light lasted, Rachel stood at the
window and watched with sinking heart the
steady inflow of the Confederates from tho
north. That night she and Aunt Debby
waite till midnight for Fortner, but he did
not come. All day Sunday she stood at her
post and watched the undated pouring in on
the Nashville pike. Fortner did not come
that night. She was dowcast, but no shade
disturbed the serenity of Aunt Debby's sweet
hymning. So it was again on Monday and
Tuesday. The continually swarming multi
tudes weighed down her spirits like mill
stone. She seemed to be encompassed BY
Va
more plentiful than the trees, or the rocks, or
the leaves even They filed the streets Of the
little town until it seemed impossible for
another one to find standing room. Their
cavalry blackened the faces of the long
ranges of hills. Their artillery and wagons
streamed along the roads in q never ending
train. Their camp fires lighted up the coun-
try at night for miles in all directions.
Just at dusk Tuesday night Fortner came
in and was warmly welcomed.
"Therc are such countless hosts of the Con-
federates," Rachel said to him after the first
greetings were over, shat quite despair Of
our men being able to do anything with
them. 1t seems impossible that there can be
gathered together anywhere else in the world
as many E.cn as they have"
II don't wonder We think SO, but eff ye'd
been whar l wuz to-day yed think tibet all
the world wuz narchin' round in blue uni
forms. Over heah hit seems ez eff all the CO.
dars on the hills had suddintly turned into
Confederate soldiers. Three miles from heab
the bluocoats are swarnin' thicker'n bees in
a fed o buclswheat."
~"Three miles from hero! Is our army
within three miles of herel"
"Hit sartinly is, an the Lord-awfullest
crowd O. men an guns an HOSES that ever
tromped down the grass O. this ere airth.
Why, hit jest dazed my eyes ter look at 'cm.
Come ter this other winder. Dye sec thet
furtherest line O camp fires, way on yander
hill9 Well. them's Union. Eff ye could SOC
fur enuf yed see they're bout five miles long,
an they look purtier'n the stars in heaven"
"But if they are so close the battle will be.
gin Immediately, will it nots"
aEit aint Ekalv for no NIT off 1-orxy 1opr
but thar's no tellin' whatll happen in war, or
when"
/ "When is my time to comet"
"Thet's what I've come fur ter tell ye. Ell
we're agwine ter be of sarvice ter the guv'-
ment. we must do hit tonight, fur most like
ly the battle1l begin in the mornin'. Hits
not jest the way intended ter make use of
We, but hit can't be helped now. ! hev in
formation tibet must reach Gineral Rosen-
Grams afore daybreak. The vict'ry may de-
pend on hit. Ter make sure all on us must
start with bit, fur gittin' through the lines is
now monty dangersome, an somebody
mebbe severel-is bound to git cotcht, mebbe
wuss The men 1 expected ter help me are
all gone. hain't nobody now but ye an
Aunt Debby. Dye dar and try an make yer
way through the lines to-nightp
Rachel thought minute upon the dread |
full possibilities Of the venture, and then |
replied firmly:
ayes dare. will try anything that the
rest Of you will attempt"
"Good. I knowed ye'd talk thet-a-way. |
Now we must waste no time in gittin' |
started, fur God on'y knows what diffikilties
we'll meet on the way, an Rosencrans can't |
hev the information emmy too soon. Ev'ry |
minute hits KEEP away from him'll cost many |
yallerable lves-mebbe help defeat the |
army"
"Tell me quickly, then, what l must do,
that may lose no time in undertaking it."
"Well, heah's plan Of the position at sum
down of the Confederates. Hits drawed out
moughty roughly, but hit'll show jest whar
they all are, an about the number there is at
each place. Hit begins on the right which is
south of Stone river, with Breckinridge's
men; then across the river is Withers, an
Cheatham, an Cleburne, with McCown's
division on the left, an Wharton's cavalry
on the flank. But the thing O. most import
ance is tibet all day long they've been movin'